Seinfeld List

One comedian made an interesting remark about Jerry Seinfeld.

If I remember correctly, the comment was that Seinfeld keeps a paper calendar strategically placed where he can see it every day, and the calendar has nothing on it but X's drawn by Jerry. When asked about it, Seinfeld explained that it's a work calendar; he, like other writers, has a goal of getting some writing done every single day.

He went on to explain, "My job is not to write great jokes -- my job is to keep that line of X's from breaking."

I liked that. In fact, I decided to start the same habit for a short list of important things I want to be doing daily. That's the reason I printed out a blank calendar so that next Monday can be day number one for creating a line of X's that I keep in tact and unbroken.

Free Money

Found 5 Honduran dollars on the floor beneath my feet in the taxi this morning, and I'm thankful!

Bright Side Of A Gloomy Season

Weather here is starting to turn...

I'm the type of person that can get cold easily. That's been part of the beauty of living in a tropical climate where the temperature is around 80 degrees most days.

But my new town is not as hot as the last one, and I think the cold weather portion of the year will be colder here. I may have to endure a couple months of things like freezing hands and feet and gray sky days that do not support my plant-like need for sunshine.

But today I found myself making a mental list of some positives...things that will help get me through the gloomy season:

1) Drinking hot beverages raises my body temperature and thaws me out. This helps a bunch, even if the beverage is just water, which is most of the time.

2) I'll have a break from the tiny, flying vampires that suck blood and sometimes carry pesky illnesses (I've never hated mosquitos so much in my life).

3) Having a blanket directly underneath me in bed helps with warmth, which is particularly needed in a place like this where there's no central heating in my apartment and I own no space heater.

4) Local cafes offer inexpensive tea and coffee and can be nice places to write and read and reflect and do some Spotifying, etc.

5) Thankfully, ice cream still works for me, even in the middle of winter weather!

Defender

So there are two individuals from Central America who I have a certain sense about.

The sense is that God expects me to contribute to their life rather meaningfully over time. And I mean real time. Years.

There's no connection between the two of them really. They even live in different countries. But both these people radiate! They're the kind of humans anyone could like. And I believe they each have a bright future to look forward to. Still, I can see a couple of areas where there is an absence of something that God apparently wants to provide from me.

Thinking about it all right now, I can't help but marvel at how cool it is to be chosen to perform something for the Master -- even when the work to be done cannot possibly be established without His help.

Part of the name I was given at birth involves the idea of being a defender. When I look back over my life, I definitely see ways that "defender" is an aspect of my identity.

This thought process reminds me of something I've been asking God to do lately:
"Put me in your service. What are you up to, and how can I help? Involve me in the creation and telling of your story."

I don't wanna lose it

Sometimes when I walk out the door and head down the sidewalk - always passing courteous locals on the street, I notice a feeling emerging inside me. It's the same feeling every time.

And it has to do with the desire to be in an environment just like this one for the rest of my days.

Celebrating

$5. That's the monthly payment for my electricity bill, and I'm thankful!

How much is enough?

So there's a song lyric that says, "Christ is enough for me..."

When I think about it, I believe that's true for my life. In fact, I've even said if God never does anything else for me, he has already done enough.

Here I am today in year three of a beautiful Honduras experience, and God has been busy. Specifically, he has been making big, huge promises about for the future.

Now, looking forward to all he has promised, it's interesting to think about the idea of Christ being all I really need.

I mean, what if suddenly all those blessings - everything God has told me to expect - what if all that was canceled? Is Christ all by himself really enough for me?

Another way to look at it is this:
when I think of the two or three things I've most desperately wanted God to send my way, what if he never provides them? Will my heart say Christ is enough then?

The prayer I pray every day, and the attitude I want to cultivate is that I appreciate every gift from God and always want the Giver more than the gift.

The one who teaches the teacher

I'm thankful for the teaching and ministry I receive from God.

It's amazing the things he can shed light on and define and expound on, even for situations I'm not living in now but will live in in the future. We're talking about the greatest teacher of all time, and he has the willingness and availability to take me on as his student.

These days, God has a lot to say about husband and wife relationships and the love of Christ for the church.

The latest lesson I'm glad he taught on the subject involves forgiveness, love, and relentless pursuit of relationship. Not only does that lesson speak to the way I need to conduct myself as a spouse someday, but also it helped me in the past week when my relationship with a group of my junior high school students felt strained.

Every year, it takes time for students to adjust to the high level of expectations I have for behavior and academic rigor. But in one class this year, the students appeared to be especially struggling to accept what I require.

When everything in me felt like letting a wall go up between them and me, I remembered the counterintuitive lesson from God and decided to find ways to move toward my unhappy kiddos instead of becoming disconnected.

And already, things are getting better.

Security??

Walked over to the bank today and was totally thrown off by what I didn't see on the sidewalk outside.

This photo (that was actually taken years back in the town I lived in previously) shows
the way guards with large weapons are typically stationed right outside each bank, accompanied by a gentleman
waiting to wand you in case you failed to leave your firearm at home.

A long holiday weekend celebration begins at midday, so I'm guessing that has something to do with the lack of security this morning in the few hours before most businesses close for the next few days.

It could happen to me?

I'm concerned about me.

When my heart and mouth asked The Lord to make me his favorite living sacrifice...his favorite fragrant offering, it reminded me of what Christ went through. The Bible says it pleased God to BRUISE him!

I want to be a fragrant offering to God, which could involve him bruising, breaking, ruining me for the sake of his glory. To be at his disposal is the true desire of my heart, and it scares the daylights out of my mortal body at the same time!

How will I handle it if actual suffering and physical harm come to my life because of him? How good will I be at doing what I know should be done then - fixing my eyes on Jesus and considering him in the midst of the pain, rather than growing weary and losing heart or crumbling under the pressure?

When I am afraid, how well will I be able to trust in God?

I can hear the words of Job, " Though he slay me, yet will I trust him."

Really, Job? Wow.

I'm concerned about me.

And about all of us. 

How much mere discomfort - much less pain and agony - are we prepared to withstand if God allows it to come? Are we right now practicing the things that will make us ready and able to stand? Christians around the world are familiar with suffering for the faith. Do we have a guarantee that we will not be called by God to go and join them? Do we have a guarantee that unprecedented persecution cannot possibly come to U.S. soil?

I hope we begin learning to rely on him before life brings a huge test of our ability to do so. God help us!

That's more like it

I'm grateful to be teaching classes I enjoy even more than at the last school.

What's the difference?

1. These days, I don't teach any literature classes. I never hated them but prefer the content in courses like the Grammar classes and Spelling classes I'm now responsible for. That stuff is my jam!

2. For the first time in Honduras, I teach 11th graders (who are actually high school seniors according to the way my new school is structured). The seniors are better equipped to handle conversations and creative writing assignments I probably wouldn't try with younger kids.

3. The experience of teaching 6th and 7th grade is also new this year. I admit I was concerned that their mentality and behavior might be too much like the things that make me never want to teach elementary school, but I have been pleasantly surprised.
Working in my favor is the fact that this year's 7th grade only has seven students!

4. Even the textbooks are better. The Houghton Mifflin English books I taught from before were of use but not the best fit for the background and cultural environment of these Central American kiddos. Too many unimportant topics and references Honduran kids would need extra explanation for, and all this for the sake of understanding details that won't benefit the lives of even those who go on to live in the states or study in U.S. colleges and universities. 

5. Each class from 6th grade through 11th grade has only one section. I don't remember feeling too annoyed to teach the same lesson twice every day in the past, but maybe 'one and done' is more desirable to me.